Generally, luggage cases especially soft side luggage cases (luggage pieces made up of stitched cloth panels to define a main packing compartment), have typically two carrying methods: a handle grip and a shoulder strap fastened to the outside of the case. The shoulder strap is usually a length of webbing with a loop, a buckle, and other fittings to permit the webbing to be removed from the case. Also, these fittings permit the length of the loop to be adjusted so that the case can be carried at a convenient distance below the user's shoulder.
Except for in very small cases where the weight of the case and its contents are not a factor, these shoulder straps usually have a shoulder pad to reduce the contact pressure caused by the shoulder strap over the shoulder of the user. These pads fall into two categories. The first, and most typical, is a molded rubber construction with a thick, generally rectangular, shoulder contacting portion and a smaller portion comprising one or two integrally formed loops through which the shoulder strap passes. The second type is similar to the shoulder pad used for golf bags and is a stitched assembly permanently attached to the shoulder strap about equally distant from the opposite ends of the shoulder strap. This has a body of flexible vinyl or fabric with a non-slip shoulder contacting layer stitched to one face. Both of these shoulder pads are either attached permanently to a particular point on the strap or are slipped on the strap before the fittings, such as buckles, swivel hooks, etc. are attached to the ends of the strap. This places a restriction on the manufacturing of these straps. The permanent or golf bag type shoulder pad, being sewn to the strap, requires that there be a length adjusting mechanism (the loop and buckle type being typical) on both attachment ends of the strap on either side of the shoulder pad so that the shoulder pad can be kept in the middle of the shoulder strap regardless of its overall adjusted length. The molded type shoulder pad has loops which fit snugly around the strap or webbing. It's very difficult, if not impossible, to pull this type of shoulder pad over buckles and swivel hook fittings. In this case, the fittings are sewn to the end of the shoulder strap after the shoulder pad is slipped over the strap.
Some companies sell shoulder strap pads to replace lost or damaged pads. These may be molded or sewn, but likely have relatively large attachment loops because they must accommodate straps of varying widths. Such replacement pads slide along the shoulder straps, easily slip down the shoulder strap, and must be constantly repositioned.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a shoulder pad which can be positioned along the length of the shoulder pad to place it in the proper location regardless of the adjusted length of the strap. There is another object to the invention to provide a shoulder pad construction and attachment means to permit the shoulder pad to be easily slipped over the shoulder strap fittings, such as buckles and swivel hooks, yet grip the shoulder strap to keep it in the proper position for comfort and long wear.